WIC Overseas offers health benefits Published Nov. 26, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Daryl Knee 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- A Defense Department program is available here to provide free supplemental food, nutrition education and health screenings to overseas Americans. The Women, Infants and Children Overseas Program supports pregnant, breastfeeding and post-partum women, infants and children up to age 5. "One of the main benefits of the WIC Overseas program is to educate families on how to live a healthier lifestyle through individualized nutrition and breastfeeding education," said Jackie Anderson, registered nurse and wellness counselor at the Spangdahlem WIC office. "In addition, the program contributes to military readiness -- active-duty personnel will be more productive and focused on their mission if they are not worried about the health of their family." Families using the WIC program are issued drafts, or checks, which have specific food items listed, such as milk, cheese, fruits, vegetables, dried beans, peas, eggs, infant fruits or vegetables, and iron-fortified infant formula and adult cereal. The family can then purchase the approved food items using the WIC checks -- at no cost. The drafts are designed to be used three times a month, and the WIC office issues them out in three-month increments. At the WIC appointments, mothers can ask for nutritional screenings for themselves or their children. "The WIC program has long been associated with increased birth weight, fewer preterm births, longer gestational age and lower rates of anemia in children," said Anderson, who holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing. "When the needs of families are met through the program, active duty and civilians stationed overseas gain peace of mind that their dependents are receiving the support they need while they are at work or deployed." Eligible participants of the program include active-duty service members, DoD civilian employees and DoD contractors. The participant must be an expectant mother, during pregnancy and throughout the first six weeks after giving birth; mothers, until the infant is 6 months old if bottle feeding or 1 year old if breast feeding; or infants and children, until the end of the month in which they turn 5 years old. Income and family size do play a part in the screening process for eligibility, but those two factors should not stop a family from applying for the program. WIC Overseas is not related to programs such as welfare or the supplemental nutrition assistance program, otherwise known as food stamps. "WIC Overseas is designed to be a health benefit to our military families overseas and is so much more than free food," Anderson explained. "It is not a poverty program and considers many criteria when establishing eligibility." Call DSN 452-9094 or 06565-61-9094 to schedule an appointment with the WIC Overseas office. For more information, visit http://www.tricare.mil/wic.